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Proposed sanctions from Oklahoma City Public Schools for Douglass football coach Willis Alexander regarding his actions following the controversial finish of a playoff game were not accepted by the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association on Wednesday.
OKCPS proposed a full-season suspension from girls soccer for Alexander, who directed strong comments to the OSSAA staff in The...

High school notebook: No sanctions accepted regarding Douglass' Willis Alexander

By Jacob Unruh and Scott Wright | Feb 11, 2015

Proposed sanctions from Oklahoma City Public Schools for Douglass football coach Willis Alexander regarding his actions following the controversial finish of a playoff game were not accepted by the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association on Wednesday.
OKCPS proposed a full-season suspension from girls soccer for Alexander, who directed strong comments to the OSSAA staff in The Oklahoman after a late go-ahead touchdown for the Trojans was negated by a penalty that was incorrectly applied.
“If a kid gets suspended from a game and it’s his last football game, it carries to the next sport. Why is it different for a coach?” OKCPS athletic director Keith Sinor said. “If the issue is that he made a mistake and has to serve a suspension, why is football better than soccer? It’s still a loss of income for Coach.
“Coach is setting an example for his kids. Does it matter that it’s football? To me, they’re basically saying soccer’s not important and that he can go ahead and coach that sport, but because it happened in football it means more to them.”
OSSAA executive director Ed Sheakley said OKCPS has not fully cooperated with the investigation. Multiple board members also said the punishment should be for football.
“I feel that if it’s a football crime, it’s a football crime,” OSSAA board member and Kiowa superintendent Rick Pool said. “If it’s a basketball crime, it’s a basketball crime. I don’t feel like football relates to girls soccer.”
Sinor also said he has fully cooperated with the investigation and that he never heard a response about needing more information until the meeting agenda was released.
“My discussion (with) Ed was this: We already provided them with a report that deals with every aspect of what happened with what Coach said during and after the contest,” Sinor said. “I told him I didn’t understand why we had to do a different report, so we’ve been fully cooperative with him in this whole process.”
RECLASSIFICATION COMMITTEE CONCLUDES WITHOUT RECOMMENDATION
The OSSAA committee formed to examine reclassification at all levels in every sport officially disbanded without a recommendation.
The committee was formed last year and began meeting in April following presentations from Putnam City Schools athletic director Dick Balenseifen regarding splitting Class 6A in every sport like football.
Balenseifen, who was on the committee, expressed disappointment a recommendation was not reached.
“The committee had some great discussion,” he said. “The majority of the people in 6A wanted to split, but the representation from 5A down to A did not want to do that.”
Class 6A was represented by the school districts of Putnam City, Mid-Del, Tulsa, Norman and Edmond.
It is unclear what the next step will be regarding the issue.
“We’re going to think about it,” Balenseifen said. “I want to remind everybody that the 6A voting delegates voted to change this 20-8.
“The people in 6A were not opposed to making changes that were requested in eight-man football or the fall-spring baseball issue. But the opposite didn’t stand true for the people in 5A-B.”
MILLWOOD’S PRINCE, LEWIS SIGN WITH NORTH TEXAS
The University of North Texas women’s basketball program raided one of Oklahoma City’s most tradition-rich teams, signing a pair of Millwood standouts on Wednesday.
DeRae Lewis and Raven Prince signed letters of intent with the Mean Green. Another former Millwood player is currently on the North Texas roster, senior Joh’Vonna Darrington — formerly Mitchell — who played at Millwood before finishing her high school career at Putnam City North.
Megan Womack from Stroud is currently a freshman for the Mean Green.
Millwood is 17-4 and ranked No. 4 in Class 3A.
MOUNT ST. MARY NAMES NEW SOFTBALL COACH
Mount St. Mary named veteran coach Harold Murphy its new softball coach Tuesday, replacing Daryl Reynolds.
Murphy is a member of the USSSA Hall of Fame and has coached more than 20 years. He was recently an assistant coach at Purcell and Northern Oklahoma College.
“I look forward to coaching at Mount St. Mary and experiencing Rocket Pride first-hand,” Murphy said in a release. “I want to set big goals for this program; I want to become a powerhouse softball program in our class. I can’t wait to get started, we have a great group of athletes.”
Mount St. Mary advanced to the Class 4A semifinals last season, but was forced to replace Reynolds after his sudden death over Christmas break.

A list of some notable multi-sport athletes from Oklahoma high schools who went on to have standout careers in college and beyond.

Multi-sport Oklahomans: A look at some football stars from Oklahoma who excelled at multiple sports

BY BERRY TRAMEL | Feb 1, 2015

More and more high school athletes are becoming specialized, concentrating on only one sport. But plenty of standout athletes have excelled despite playing multiple sports. Since 1990, here are some of the Oklahoma high school players who made the NFL or became elite college players after playing multiple sports in high school.
Stephen Alexander, 1994, Chickasha: Before he went to OU and on to the NFL, Alexander was a hoops standout in Chickasha.
Raymond Austin, 1993, Lawton Eisenhower: Austin was a hurdling star in high school, then made the NFL out of the University of Tennessee.
Billy Bajema, 2001, Westmoore: Bajema was hailed as a baseball phenom as a freshman at Westmoore. But he also played football and chose the gridiron over the diamond after high school, going to OSU and then on to the NFL as a tight end.
Justin Blackmon, 2008, Plainview: Blackmon physically manhandled college defensive backs while winning two Biletnikoff Awards at OSU. But Blackmon also physically manhandled high school basketball foes of Plainview.
Sam Bradford, 2006, Putnam North: You name it, Bradford excelled in it. Football, basketball, golf, even hockey. Bradford focused on football at OU — and won the 2008 Heisman Trophy. He was the 2010 overall No. 1 NFL draft pick.
Josh Fields, 2001, Stillwater: Fields was a great quarterback and power hitter not only at Stillwater High School, but OSU. Fields eventually made the major leagues with the Chicago White Sox.
Kelly Gregg, 1995, Edmond North: The longtime NFL defensive lineman was a three-time state wrestling champion in Edmond.
Cale Gundy, 1990, Midwest City: Just like his brother, Cale was a record-setting quarterback but also a great high school baseball player.
Felix Jones, 2005, Tulsa Washington: Jones played several years as a Dallas Cowboys tailback, but he also was a starting guard on Booker T.’s 2005 state finals basketball team.
Curtis Lofton, 2005, Kingfisher: The NFL linebacker was a high school basketball standout for the Yellowjackets.
Alonzo Mayes, 1993, Douglass: The NFL tight end was a high school basketball star before going to OSU.
R.W. McQuarters, 1995, Tulsa Washington: Super Bowl-winning defensive back was a football and basketball star in high school — and played both sports at OSU.
T.J. Rushing, 2001, Pauls Valley: Rushing made the Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts, but before he went to Stanford, Rushing was a three-sport star at Pauls Valley, including winning four gold medals in the 2001 state track meet.
Brandon Weeden, Edmond Santa Fe, 2002: A football and baseball star, Weeden was a second-round draft pick of the Yankees in baseball, then 10 years later was a first-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in football.
Jason White, 1999, Tuttle: The 2003 Heisman Trophy winner was a basketball star at Tuttle.
Rashaun Woods, 1999, Millwood: OSU’s receiver extraordinaire led the Falcons to one of their many state basketball championships.

One more reason why I’d like to see the Pirates do the honorable thing. I care about the kids of Mayes County. And while winning a state championship would be great for Locust Grove, even greater would be teaching a bunch of teen-agers that doing the right thing is never a wrong way to go.

Opportunities come along often. For all of us. Great opportunities come along rarely. A great opportunity has presented itself for the Locust Grove football team.
By now you’ve probably heard of the big flap in the Class 3A state quarterfinals Friday night at Douglass High School. Locust Grove beat the Trojans 20-19, after a late Douglass touchdown was erased by an improperly-enforced penalty by officials who didn’t know the rules.
Douglass, the Oklahoma City Public Schools and at least one politician, probably more, are demanding justice and a replay of that final minute. Only thing left are the lawyers.
But the last thing high school football needs is more court cases. Or more debate under the Capitol dome. More outrage from the wronged.
The first thing high school football needs is more humanity. Humanity and humility. The first thing high school football needs is to jump off the just-win-baby treadmill and rediscover its roots.
That final minute ought to be replayed, not because of the outcry of the wronged, but because of the benevolence of the righted. Locust Grove ought to take the lead and agree to replay those 60 seconds. Ought to stand up and demand that it be given the chance to win the game unblemished.
[tweetquote]This is about what’s right. This is about freeing the Locust Grove players from a lifetime of what-ifs.[/tweetquote]
That’s counter to the message the sport declares these days, when the pursuit of gold balls is paramount and parents shop their kids from school to school, chasing team glory and individual acclaim.
Coaches always talk about the life lessons that football provides. Seldom are they interested in actually teaching those life lessons. The season arrives, the playoffs start and the Friday Night Lights become a boneyard. As in, somebody’s season is cemetery-bound.
Locust Grove coach Matt Hennesy told our man Scott Wright that plenty of other calls affected the game. A hold here. A called-back touchdown there. No argument, though I’m reminded of the old Eddie Sutton truth, that mistakes in the final seconds are magnified because they can’t be overcome.
This isn’t about who’s right. This is about what’s right. This is about freeing the Locust Grove players from a lifetime of what-ifs. Freeing them from the gnawing feeling of ill-gotten gain. Giving them the precious gift that there are more important things than finishing first and having the most toys. What an opportunity to show, instead of tell. What an opportunity to instill those life lessons.
Better men than me and Matt Hennesy have had this opportunity and declined. Colorado won the 1990 national championship only after beating Missouri with a fifth down. CU coach Bill McCartney, who championed the Promise Keepers movement, dismissed suggestions that the Buffaloes give back that game. Always made me wonder what promises he was keeping.
This is not an East-West issue for me. This is not big city vs. small town. I’ve got a lot more ties to Locust Grove, 167 miles from my house, than I do to Douglass High School, 18 miles from home.
I ate lunch once with Douglass coach Willis Alexander at a football camp, and I went with Wes Welker to Douglass when his foundation presented a grant to the Trojan football program. Covered one game at Moses F. Miller Stadium, back in 1999.
My Locust ties are much deeper. My dad’s from Mayes County. The older half of the Tramel clan, which included my dad, went to school in Salina, but the younger half (there were 11 kids) went to Locust Grove. My cousin’s son played on Locust’s Class 3A semifinal team that played Millwood in Moore. My dad and I were there, cheering on the Pirates. My cousin Jimmie, of Tulsa World sportswriting fame, is a proud Locust grad. I’m sure I’ve got distant cousins walking the halls of Locust Grove High School. Probably playing on the football squad.
Which is one more reason why I’d like to see the Pirates do the honorable thing. I care about the kids of Mayes County. And while winning a state championship would be great for Locust Grove, even greater would be teaching a bunch of teen-agers that doing the right thing is never a wrong way to go.
Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at (405) 760-8080 or at btramel@opubco.com. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1. You can also view his personality page at newsok.com/berrytramel.

Quiet or not, Van Meter has become a force for the second-ranked Saints in the absence of injured quarterback Thomas Qualls, and that was evident during Friday’s 34-15 win over Kingston in which Van Meter returned a punt for a touchdown and caught a long touchdown pass.

High school football: OCS receiver Kade Van Meter does his talking on the field

By Jacob Unruh | Nov 24, 2014

EDMOND — Oklahoma Christian School coach Derek Turner likes to joke about how much Kade Van Meter speaks.
“I think I’ve heard him say 10 words in the four years he’s been here,” Turner said. “He’s one of those silent leaders.”
Quiet or not, Van Meter has become a force for the second-ranked Saints in the absence of injured quarterback Thomas Qualls, and that was evident during Friday’s 34-15 win over Kingston in which Van Meter returned a punt for a touchdown and caught a long touchdown pass.
It was his second touchdown reception and the team’s second punt return for a score in as many weeks.
“I was put in a position where I was forced to step up and I expect it from myself every night now,” said Van Meter, who is The Oklahoman’s staff pick for Player of the Week.
OCS (12-0) hits the road this week, facing upstart Colcord (11-1) in the Class 2A quarterfinals Friday.
It’s the first time OCS has traveled without Qualls, whose status remains uncertain moving forward. That leaves playmakers like Van Meter and Luke Frankfurt to step up to help fill-in quarterback Connor Sikes, who normally plays receiver.
“It’s going to put added pressure on you because you’re down one really quality receiver,” Turner said. “In our particular case, that’s what we’re looking at. But we’ve got some kids who can really fill in.
“It’s more pressure on Van Meter, but he’s handled that.”
Van Meter now has three touchdowns on special teams, having returned two kickoffs earlier in the season for touchdowns. Last week, Callen Crockett joined the mix with a punt return for a touchdown.
Frankfurt also has four touchdowns in the past two games, bringing his season total to 23.
“It’s just our reaction to adversity,” Van Meter said. “All of us can make a play anytime, and that keeps teams on their heels having to guard a lot of playmakers. It helps us out a lot.”
Van Meter said the Saints’ early four-game schedule prepared them for the challenge of the playoffs. In that span, OCS beat Ringling, Metro Christian, Lincoln Christian and Millwood. Three of those teams remain in the playoffs in their respective classes.
But even he’s a little surprised how well the team has responded the past two weeks.
“A little bit,” he said. “But we’re used to it now.”

Darkhorse Oklahoma Christian: Nobody expected the Saints to go undefeated with their grueling schedule, but they did. Now, not many expect them to win a second championship in three years, which would possibly include taking down favorite Davis. Best first-round matchup Millwood at Chisholm: It’s the second straight year Chisholm has hosted a playoff game […]

Oklahoma high school football playoffs: Breaking down the Class 2A bracket

Scott Wright | Nov 9, 2014

Darkhorse
Oklahoma Christian: Nobody expected the Saints to go undefeated with their grueling schedule, but they did. Now, not many expect them to win a second championship in three years, which would possibly include taking down favorite Davis.
Best first-round matchup
Millwood at Chisholm: It's the second straight year Chisholm has hosted a playoff game against a District 2A-2 power, falling to OCS last season. It still has its hands full with Millwood this week, but it might also be better prepared after last season.
Player to watch
Blake Summers, Davis: Summers has been extremely impressive all season, putting up better numbers than last season's title run with 1,453 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns in the triple-option offense.
Class 2A
Scott Wright: Davis
Jacob Unruh: Davis
Trent Shadid: Davis

When the Saints returned to the field for the first time since Goff’s unexpected death two days earlier, the emotion hit them harder than a 300-pound nose guard.

High school football: Jason Goff still had a presence with the OCS football team

By Scott Wright | Oct 29, 2014

EDMOND — Cole Holleyman didn’t cry until he got onto the football field last Friday night.
After all, that’s where he and many of his Oklahoma Christian teammates became brothers with Jason Goff.
And when the Saints returned to the field for the first time since Goff’s unexpected death two days earlier, the emotion hit them harder than a 300-pound nose guard.
“I think that’s why we had such a tough time that first quarter,” OCS coach Derek Turner said. “Some of the guys probably couldn’t see through all the tears.”
Goff’s last football season at OCS was 2012 when his play on the offensive line was a crucial part of the Saints’ Class 2A state championship run.
A natural leader, all the players on the team back then looked up to the 6-foot-6, 285-pound Goff — and still did, two years later.
“He was at our game against Millwood earlier this year and he was still getting on me just like he did when we played together,” Holleyman said with a laugh. “He was my mentor. He was like the team dad. He could say something and have every player’s attention with just one word.”
After OCS, Goff played one year of football at Oklahoma Baptist. He wanted to go into medicine, and left football behind to focus on his pre-med course work at OU.
Last month, he was diagnosed with a rare infection that attacked his heart, causing it to swell. Doctors were getting his condition under control, and last week, he was scheduled for an MRI that could have led to him being put on the list for a heart transplant.
But days before the MRI, on Oct. 18, he was driving with his friend Nick Lovelace in Edmond when Goff collapsed at the wheel of his pickup, which was pulling a trailer down Memorial Road. His foot pressed hard on the accelerator and the pickup was traveling at over 70 miles per hour as Lovelace unbuckled from the passenger seat and tried to get control of the vehicle.
Lovelace was able to steer the pickup through on-coming traffic and into a field. The trailer swung out of control and caused the pickup to roll at least twice. Lovelace suffered minor injuries, but Goff was still unconscious when paramedics arrived.
“There could’ve been a lot more people really hurt,” Turner said. “Nick was a real hero to a lot of people.”
Paramedics revived Goff on the way to the hospital, but his brain had been without oxygen for too long. He died four days later, on Wednesday, Oct. 22.
“I actually thought he was gonna come out of it,” OCS senior lineman Asher Martel said. “When he did pass, I didn’t know what to think. I was shell-shocked for a while.
“When he was a senior and I was a sophomore, I was a lot smaller than I am now, and I played right next to him. So the defenses would always say, ‘Hey, let’s go after the smaller guy.’ Jason always protected me and helped me out. I would get angry, and he would calm me down.”
The Saints had been honoring another former player, Wilson Holloway, this season, carrying one of his University of Tulsa jerseys onto the field before each game. The jersey was a gift from Tulsa coach Bill Blankenship when OCS took part in Tulsa’s summer camp. Holloway died in 2011 from Hodgkins lymphoma.
Last Friday, next to Holloway’s jersey, was Goff’s No. 66 Saints jersey.
“It was just surreal,” Holleyman said. “The same way we play for Wilson and his memory, that’s what we’ll do for Jason. It’s just fuel to the fire for the next state championship.”
Playing to honor their former teammate wasn’t so easy at first. OCS led Crooked Oak 15-0 after the first quarter last Friday night.
That’s when Turner told his team to start having fun and playing the way Goff would want them.
“We scored 42 points in the second quarter,” Turner said. “We had some fun.”
The Saints will wear a No. 66 sticker on their helmets the rest of the season as well, a small way to honor the memory of a young man who was loved and respected teammate and friend.
“A lot of us learned so much from Jason out on that field,” Martel said. “He taught me how to be a man through football. And he did the same for a lot of guys. That’s what I’ll remember most about Jason.”

The Red River Shootout has been going on for long enough that there are rarely firsts in the series anymore.
And Alex Ross’ kick return for a touchdown Saturday in Oklahoma’s 31-26 win wasn’t the first for the Sooners against the Longhorns.
There just might not be anybody around who can remember the last time it happened.
Ross’ first-quarter return for a score was the first for the Sooners in...

OU football notebook: Alex Ross' TD return first in nearly a century

The Red River Shootout has been going on for long enough that there are rarely firsts in the series anymore.
And Alex Ross’ kick return for a touchdown Saturday in Oklahoma’s 31-26 win wasn’t the first for the Sooners against the Longhorns.
There just might not be anybody around who can remember the last time it happened.
Ross’ first-quarter return for a score was the first for the Sooners in the game vs. Texas since 1917 when Hap Johnson returned a kick 77 yards for a score.
Johnson’s grandson, Monty, played for the Sooners in 1969-70 after playing the 1967 season with Texas.
ALEXANDER RETURNS WITH THUMB BRACE
Just before Zack Sanchez’s second-quarter interception return for a touchdown, Sooners linebacker Dominique Alexander — Oklahoma’s leading tackler on the season and in Saturday’s game to that point — left with an injury.
Alexander had to head into the locker room when his thumb got trapped while making a tackle with teammate Charles Tapper on Texas’ Johnathan Gray.
After a drive with Aaron Franklin on the field as his replacement, Alexander returned with his right hand heavily wrapped.
“I’ve still got to go out and get X-rays,” Alexander said after the game. “It was different. It was harder to use my hands, but it’s something I have to get used to.”
Alexander finished with 11 tackles.
Oklahoma’s other middle linebacker, Jordan Evans, led OU with 14.
STOOPS SETS RIVALRY MARK
Sooners coach Bob Stoops became the first Sooners coach to win 10 games against the Longhorns.
Stoops also extended his record for Big 12 wins (101) and won his 165th game as the Sooners coach.
HUNNICUTT HITS 400
After Ross’ touchdown, Sooners kicker Michael Hunnicutt became the 20th player in NCAA history with 400 points when he hit the extra point.
Hunnicutt finished with seven points to move to 406 career points, good for 16th on the record list.
One of the players he passed was former Texas running back Cedric Benson, who had 404 career points.
Current Big 12 schools now have six players on the list.
Wisconsin’s Montee Ball holds the record with 500 points. Texas’ Ricky WIlliams has the Big 12 record with 452.
BOND COMES THROUGH
Junior college transfer Devante Bond was expected to have a bigger impact on Oklahoma’s defense before an injury just before the season slowed him and his contribution was negligible through five games.
Saturday, Bond got his chance, coming in opposite Eric Striker regularly as a rusher coming off the edge.
“Devante has been progressing in our system for a long time,” Sooners defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said. “He had a bad ankle injury coming out of camp. It prohibited him from being ready, just being a first-year player out of junior college. But he continues to improve.
“You can see he’s starting to give us something a little different out there. He’s worked hard to get on the field and to split time with Geneo (Grissom). I thought he had some great plays and understands our concepts, what we’re trying to do.”
Bond had three tackles against Texas. He had four on the season coming into the game.
OKLAHOMANS CAPTAIN TEXAS
Neither Texas linebacker Demarco Cobbs nor free safety Josh Turner started for the Longhorns on Saturday. Neither recorded a stat in the game.
But both had their moment before the game when the duo came out to midfield for the coin flip as Texas captains.
Cobbs and Turner were the No. 1 high school players in Oklahoma in back-to-back seasons and both decided to head south to play for Mack Brown’s Longhorns.
Cobbs signed with Texas in 2010 out of Tulsa Central and has had a productive career marred by injury.
Turner, the former Millwood star, signed with the Longhorns in 2011 and contributed immediately.
He was dismissed from the team not long after Charlie Strong took over but worked his way back. He’s yet to get back into the regular safety rotation, though.
SOONERS CAN’T CAPITALIZE ON ERRANT SNAPS
Texas was sloppy much of the game.
Three snaps to the quarterback went awry, and the ball also caromed off the hands of UT punter William Russ.
But half the time, the play turned out fine for Texas. A second-quarter snap bounced off Swoopes but right into the hands of Gray, who rambled 12 yards for a first down. And Russ retrieved his errant ball and averted disaster with a 25-yard punt.

The rivalry was naturally born when Millwood High School opened a few miles north of Douglass on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. The school opened independently of the Oklahoma City Public School system, with some Douglass graduates among those involved in the creation of the school.

Why the Soul Bowl rivalry between Douglass and Millwood is deep but respectful

BY SCOTT WRIGHT, Staff Writer | Sep 13, 2014

It was mid-August and the season opener was still two weeks away for the Douglass Trojans, but fans were already beginning to look a little farther ahead.
“Somebody asked me, ‘What’s the Soul Bowl T-shirt gonna look like, coach?’” Douglass coach Willis Alexander was asked. “I’m thinking about our scrimmage, and people are already getting excited for the Soul Bowl.”
Over its 39 years, the Soul Bowl has become the preeminent rivalry game for Oklahoma City schools. The rivalry was naturally born when Millwood High School opened a few miles north of Douglass on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
The school opened independently of the Oklahoma City Public School system, with some Douglass graduates among those involved in the creation of the school.
Yet it has remained a rivalry of mutual respect, with passion tied deep within the schools’ alumni.
Millwood won the 39th edition of the Soul Bowl on Saturday at Douglass, 20-14, in the dramatic fashion typically expected in such an intense rivalry.
“It’s amazing being out there on the field, knowing it’s a big game with so many people watching,” Millwood senior Andre Clanton said. “We have some former players come speak to us before breakfast on the day of the game, getting everybody hyped up and riled up. They relive the days they had and it just makes everybody go wild.
“It’s like a bowl game at the college level.”
And the intensity of the rivalry runs deep.
“It’s a good rivalry,” Alexander said. “Some kids have family on the other side. Kids are playing against kids they go to church with, or grew up playing with. It’s a game that means a lot to the kids.”
Since becoming a Saturday afternoon staple in the second week of the football season, the Soul Bowl has only grown. A large crowd filled Moses F. Miller Stadium on Saturday, with cars parked in the grass along the sides of NW 10th Street outside the stadium. Food trucks were pulled in on both ends of the field, with fans in line throughout the game.
Alexander can recall with great detail the games he played against rival Millwood when he was a Douglass football player in the mid-1980s under coach Stanford White.
On the other side, Millwood coach Darwin Franklin played in the Soul Bowl under longtime Falcons coach Leodies Robinson.
“I can’t think of this game without thinking of Leodies Robinson,” Franklin said. “Would he be proud of the brand we’re putting on the field?
“After that, it’s just two great schools on opposite ends of Martin Luther King Boulevard, and we say hey, we’re gonna get together and see what happens. It’s huge for the community, it’s huge for the players who play in it, it’s huge for the guys who come back to watch it. And it’s huge for our school when we get to bring that trophy back.”

STILLWATER — Much of his early football career was defined by anonymous letters and tips. Veiled accusations against the high-school star and his family.
They poured into the email inboxes of principals, administrators, coaches and reporters. In one way or another, each making this statement about the teenager:
Daxx Garman is cheating his way to the top.
When Garman makes his first career start for Oklahoma State on Saturday night against UTSA, his well-documented backstory will once again be under the microscope.
Before his appearance against Missouri State last weekend, Garman hadn’t played in a real game since his junior season at Jones High School in 2009.
His prep career was highlighted by three transfers and two seasons lost to ineligibility, followed by a redshirt year at Arizona. Garman was then buried on the Cowboys’ depth chart for two seasons as a walk-on.
But missing from that narrative is what’s also hidden in those letters.
The evidence — interviews with those close to the family over the past five years and documents obtained by The Oklahoman — show that Garman’s early journey to becoming a Big 12 starter was marred by political battles and the desire for stardom.
On Aug. 24, 2010, the athletic director at Southlake Carroll High School, where Garman graduated, received an email from a community member about the media firestorm Garman’s transfer attempt created.
Five sentences. Two exclamation points. The final line?
You better watch your back.
*****
Garman was born and raised in Oklahoma, but little has been reported on his upbringing. Members of the Garman family did not respond to interview requests.
What is certain? Garman’s high school football career began in 2007 when he transferred from Choctaw to Carl Albert for his freshman and sophomore seasons. And he came in with genetics that pointed toward a successful athletic future.
His father, Pat Garman, played baseball in the Texas Rangers minor league system in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and once hit four home runs in a single game.
But his son never got the opportunity to star at Carl Albert. Garman was passed over by upperclassmen quarterbacks, including J.T. Realmuto, a third-round pick by the Florida Marlins in 2010.
So the family transferred Garman into Jones, a Class 3A school northeast of Oklahoma City, for his junior season.
Kris Vaughn, 22, was a Jones running back who played alongside Garman in 2009.
“Daxx was kind of (shy) and it took him a minute to open up,” Vaughn said. “It really didn’t click until like the second or third game.”
But it wasn’t long before Jones coach David Martin understood the talent he suddenly had at quarterback. His first impression?
“Man, can he spin the football,” Martin said.
In his first ever varsity season, Garman totaled 2,500 passing yards and 26 touchdowns. His accuracy on deep and intermediate throws is what impressed Martin most. But Garman’s identity as a passer always came back to arm strength.
“I would usually always wear gloves whenever Daxx threw the ball,” Vaughn said. “There was a time we were playing Millwood. I went to go block and then ran out in the flat. He threw it just hard enough to actually cut my hand. I was bleeding.”
With one game left in the regular season, Jones was undefeated in district play and a shoe-in for the league crown. But everything changed one school day when Jones administrators pulled football players out of class just after lunch for a team meeting.
Someone had tipped off the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association that there was an issue with Garman’s eligibility. Jones would forfeit all its games up to that point. Martin said he still does not know who alerted the rules committee.
“The principal came in and said it was his fault,” Vaughn said. “That it was a paperwork thing.”
In the hours leading up to Jones’ next game, Garman addressed the team in a group setting.
“He said this was one the best experiences he ever had playing football, playing with us,” Vaughn said. “He told everybody thank you and he was sorry … he was collective about it, but just as hurt by it.”
Apology accepted. But not by everyone.
As Vaughn puts it, when news broke that Garman was the player responsible for a successful season lost, “stuff hit the fan.”
The Garman family reported in several transfer documents that Daxx received “death threats” following the OSSAA’s decision and that his car was vandalized. However, Martin said he had no recollection of those events taking place.
“I know there were Jones’ parents that weren’t too happy about it, because they’re thinking how it affects their kids,” Vaughn said. “They thought that Daxx and his family — since they had money — that they were some big shots that could run over the system. But that’s not how everybody saw it.
“Forget the politics, he was never recruited or anything. Daxx just wanted to be somewhere he could play football and do what he loved to do.”
Garman attempted a return to Carl Albert, but was denied because the school had reportedly reached its enrollment capacity. However, Garman’s future was still bright.
After less than a season of starting varsity experience, the University of Arizona offered Garman a scholarship and he committed. But he still needed a home for his senior year.
So the Garmans moved to Southlake, Texas. A decision that only escalated pressure on the 17-year-old quarterback.
“At some point, you’ve got to sit there and go; man, is this really for me? And Daxx kept pushing on,” Martin said. “Most people might start to think; maybe I’m not supposed to be doing this.”
*****
Every offseason, Southlake Carroll High School puts on a football camp for aspiring youth players from feeder programs in the community. For $125 at the door, participants received four days of “quality instruction with the opportunity to learn the Dragon Football System at an early age,” according to the 2014 camp flyer.
It’s also a chance for SLC coaches to identify and develop incoming talent long before an athlete ever steps on campus.
That process begins in first grade — the minimum-age requirement for the camp.
It’s a system with proven results. Notable SLC football alumni include a slew of top collegiate quarterbacks, including Chase Daniel (Missouri), Greg McElroy (Alabama) and now Kenny Hill (Texas A&M).
So imagine the community reaction in summer 2010, when Garman — the outsider with a history of transferring schools — was named the Dragons’ starter by coach Hal Wasson.
“I think it made at least one family very upset,” SLC athletic director Kevin Ozee said. “I think they got into the ear of this particular reporter.”
That reporter was Brett Shipp of WFAA-TV in Dallas. Shipp — who did not respond to interview requests — led an investigation into Garman’s eligibility.
The governing body of Texas high school sports, the University Interscholastic League, prohibits players from transferring schools solely for athletic purposes. In two district meetings chaired by opposing athletic directors and principals, Garman’s transfer was unanimously approved — as it was shown that the entire Garman family had moved to Southlake and planned on settling down in the area.
Five years later, the Garman’s still reside in Southlake. Daxx’s younger brother is currently on the Dragons’ freshman football team, Ozee said.
But soon after those initial meetings that approved Garman’s 2010 transfer, Shipp’s investigation reached a tipping point. He caught Pat Garman on camera at an Oklahoma gas station, fueling up for a camping trip, and questioned whether the Garman’s moved to Southlake just so Daxx could play for SLC.
Pat Garman responded by chest-passing a bag of ice at Shipp and the video went viral. It created the perception that the Garman family was out of control, Ozee said.
“In my opinion, they made it appear like this was a horrible kid, a horrible family and they took advantage of the situation,” Ozee said. “And that was not the case at all.”
Shipp also discovered an “out-clause” in the rental contract for the Garman’s home in Southlake. It stated that “in the event the Tenant’s son, Daxx Garman, is not accepted in the Carroll ISD Football program, Tenant will have the option to cancel this Lease…”
Ozee said that clause was added in the situation that Garman’s transfer could possibly cause another round of threats against him — a safety precaution. However, there was no hard evidence to prove that theory.
In the wake of Shipp’s investigation, another district meeting was called. And this time, Garman was found ineligible by a 4-3 vote. The Garman’s appealed to the state executive committee, but were once again denied.
Hours after Ozee and the family left UIL headquarters in Austin, Garman was on the sidelines for the Dragon’s season opener. And that presence continued all season long.
“You really feel for Daxx,” Ozee said. “He was 17-years-old, and this kid had been through more than most adults … He asked to be able to come out, practice, be part of the team and come to the games to support his teammates. Man, that spoke volumes.”
*****
Soon after Garman passed for 244 yards and two touchdowns Sept. 6 against Missouri State, he spoke with the reporters for the first time as a Cowboy. When asked about the five-year gap in his career: “I’ve moved past that. Just trying to move on.”
Hard to blame him. Because the days of Garman’s identity as the jaded transfer who couldn’t find a home are now long gone. However, he did make one last switch to become a Cowboy.
Garman spent one season of anonymity as a redshirt at Arizona in 2011 and transferred to OSU when the Wildcats made a coaching change.
“I'm getting the opportunity to move closer to home," Garman told local Arizona media. "My family can be more involved in the situation, and I felt like it's a better opportunity for me. Oklahoma State, they have a great football environment.”
Garman entered the program as a walk-on.
Former OSU quarterback Clint Chelf’s locker was right next to Garman’s when he arrived. Chelf called Garman a “quiet guy” who “doesn’t say a lot.” But any time Chelf put in extra time with his wide receivers outside practice, Garman was usually there, too.
“He wanted to always be out there throwing and getting better,” Chelf said. “I think that’s just who he is.”
Garman wasn’t put on scholarship until the beginning of this season, and now finds himself in a position he has not been accustomed to prior.
After fighting for a chance to become a starting quarterback the past four seasons, the job has dropped into his lap at the expense of someone else.
OSU coach Mike Gundy said last week that J.W. Walsh is the Cowboys’ starter when healthy. But with Walsh out indefinitely following lower right leg/foot surgery, it’s now Garman’s job to lose.
“(Garman) has always been a self-starter and he’s been motivated to learn,” Gundy said. “That’s why you do it, because you never know when you’re going to be in a game.”
OSU fans witnessed the same arm strength that wowed Martin five years ago. His performance Saturday against UTSA will be chapter two in a new story to define his football career.
“I’m sure there are a lot of people that would have liked to coach a kid a like that for a number of years,” Martin said. “Especially with how offenses are run in the spread and being able to put the ball all over the place. You’ve got a guy back there that can do that.”

By bringing in assistant coaches who have played in Division I and the NFL, Bears’ head coach hopes to strengthen his program.

Former Oklahoma State star Rashaun Woods builds an all-star staff at John Marshall

BY SCOTT WRIGHT | Sep 4, 2014

When Rashaun Woods took over the John Marshall football program last year, he knew he wanted the Bears to be coached the same way he had been coached coming up through Millwood, Oklahoma State and the NFL.
After the Bears saw some success in his first season, Woods decided to take another step and bring in a few assistants he knew had been coached the same way — starting with his younger brother, Donovan, and his former OSU teammate Billy Bajema.
Derrick Locke, a Hugo native who was a standout running back at Kentucky, was added as well, joining a staff that already included John Marshall grad Tango McCauley, who was an All-Big 12 selection at Texas A&M and played six years of pro ball in the Canadian and Arena leagues.
The new coaching staff’s first game together comes Friday night, when John Marshall faces Northwest Classen at 7 p.m. at Douglass High School.
In all, the Bears have five coaches on the staff who were stars in the Big 12 and Southeastern conferences, and spent time at the professional level.
“I learned so much about football from the guys who coached me as a player, and I took away from that the knowledge to teach kids how to play,” Rashaun Woods said. “I know all the coaches I have on staff were a part of that same type of teaching.
“When you look at a guy’s experience, maybe he’s got 10 years of coaching, but when you’re a player, that’s a level of experience that you can’t get in a lot of places, especially for a coach working at the high school level.”
The coaches have some pretty impressive playing resumes, starting with Rashaun Woods, who was one of Oklahoma State’s greatest receivers and a first-round draft choice in the NFL. Donovan Woods starred at quarterback, then safety for OSU, and was on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ practice squad in 2008 when they won the Super Bowl.
Locke was a two-time All-SEC running back before his pro career was cut short by a neck injury. McCauley was an All-Big 12 offensive lineman before his six-year pro career.
And Bajema, a former Westmoore quarterback, became a star tight end at OSU, then played nine years in the NFL, winning the Super Bowl title with Baltimore in the 2012 season.
Coming back to the high school ranks has been an adjustment for Bajema after nearly a decade in the NFL.
“This is the first year for me not getting to strap the pads on and hit somebody,” Bajema said. “It’s just different, and I think it’s something everybody goes through when they finish playing.
“It’s been good for me for the first training camp and start of the season where I’m not playing myself. Being around these guys has made the transition a lot easier. When you’ve worked at something like football for so long and have so much of your life invested in it, it’s definitely a change when you’re not out there anymore.”
The beefed-up coaching staff looks to be making a promising impact so far. John Marshall reached the finals of the All-City Preview scrimmage tournament last week — something the Bears hadn’t done in the last few years — and is a team on the rise in Class 3A.
Helping the cause along, the coaches have an instant level of respect from the players because of their unique experiences at the highest levels of football.
“Having these type of coaches out here, it’s pretty much everything I could ask for,” junior Jeremiah Patton said. “They’re helping make me a much more confident player because I know everything I need to be doing to be the player I want to be.
“We want to let every team we play know that John Marshall is here to be successful and work to get to the top.”
Most of the assistant coaches have other jobs. Bajema is working on a couple of business ventures in the restaurant world. But the opportunity to still be on the football field in some capacity is valuable. And their value in the kids’ lives is even more important.
“Those are the kind of guys I look for — guys with a good head on their shoulders, with high character, who can pass on their knowledge to our kids,” Rashaun Woods said. “The coaches I have on staff are exactly the guys I need to be a positive influence on the kids.
“When you talk about all the influences in their lives — whether it’s gangs or a bad home life or anything negative — those are powerful negative influences to the point kids can see positives in them. So I have to offset that by bringing coaches to get these kids excited about something positive.”